“We Were Hoping It Wouldn’t Come to This…”
Currently, only a handful of the original homes are still occupied by residents, with the remaining structures housing approximately 20 associations, and foundations. These organizations include Dom Tańca (House of Dance), Zaczarowany Ogród (Enchanted Garden), Ambasada Muzyki Tradycyjnej (Embassy of Traditional Music), Fundacja Odjazdów (Odjazdy Foundation), Motyka i Słońce, Państwomiasto, Solatorium, Fundacja Bullerbyn na Jazdowie, Autonomiczna Przestrzeń Edukacyjna (Autonomous Educational Space), and Otwarta Pracownia Jazdów (Open Workshop Jazdów).
A recent decision by Warsaw city officials could force many of these groups to exit the area. Representatives from the organizations, united under the banner of Wolny Jazdów (Free Jazdów), have voiced concerns about the proposed rent hikes.
Which organizations operate in the Jazdów district?
What is the reason for the rent increases in Jazdów?
By what percentage will the annual costs increase for organizations in Jazdów?
What negotiations did the organizations have with Warsaw authorities?
“We were hoping it wouldn’t come to this, but Free Jazdów, as we know it, may disappear – due to a decision by Warsaw authorities,” a statement from Wolny Jazdów reads. “Contracts with the Warsaw City Hall regulating our operations in the Finnish houses ended on February 23, 2026. The city authorities are giving us the opportunity to extend them – but with a drastic increase. The proposed amount is as much as 236% of the current rate. This represents an increase of 219,000 złoty (approximately $54,000 USD) annually for the entire district.”
“If we were commercial companies, no one would doubt that such a cost increase would mean immediate closure. Where are we supposed to get such funds? We have no other source than voluntary support from recipients of our activities, but we do not understand why it should flow in a wide stream to the city treasury instead of being used for activities in Jazdów,” the activists added.
Thousands of Złoty More for Rent
Representatives of the non-governmental organizations point out that this poses a significant problem and could lead to a reduction in activities, or even the complete closure and departure from Jazdów, as they are unable to cope with such drastic rent increases.
“Last autumn, after a long lack of information, the city authorities presented us with the conditions for continuing to rent the Finnish houses for the next five years. We believed the assurances of an ‘invitation to dialogue’ – but in reality, the conditions were dictated to us, and subsequent meetings, letters, and attempts at discussion did not change the decision on the draconian increases. A real process of co-creation of a solution did not take place,” the activists stated.
According to their calculations, each organization would now have to pay several thousand złoty more annually for the rental of a house. At the same time, other costs are rising – the 80-year-old houses require repairs and renovations, which they carry out themselves at their own expense. Heating bills are enormous, especially after a harsh winter when pipes froze and burst in many of the houses.
“We cannot give up heating – but the city could give up on profiting from our activities and the people who benefit from what happens in Jazdów. And that’s what we’re talking about: profiting. After our questions, the city itself admitted that the real costs of maintaining the district are 8-9 złoty per square meter. We, however, are supposed to pay 27.06 złoty. The amount may not seem large, but It’s only one of the fixed costs of maintaining and operating, and the Jazdów organizations are sustained by voluntary donations and volunteer function,” the activists wrote.
Activists: “You Can’t Operate Like This Forever”
The only way to reduce the rent, according to the city, is to receive a grant from the city authorities themselves.
“The stability of social infrastructure should not be a competition for survival. Many organizations are operating today on the brink of financial and human endurance. We talk a lot about social resilience in the context of war, crises, and polarization. But resilience does not arise in strategies and documents. It arises in stable places where people can build relationships, trust, and cooperation,” they wrote.
“Free Jazdów is one of those places. This is where relational infrastructure is created, which allows for immediate and effective action in times of crisis – as after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. But social leaders are not an inexhaustible resource. Long-term uncertainty and a lack of stable rules lead to burnout. And the cost of this burnout is borne by all of us in the form of weaker communities, reduced ability to respond to crises, and their survival. You can operate for a long time with high responsibility and low stability. You can’t operate like this forever,” they added.
Activists emphasize that their organizations’ activities are non-commercial. They believe the city is effectively seeking to profit from donors and beneficiaries of their public benefit activities, and from the unpaid, missionary work of hundreds of volunteers.
Osiedle JazdówPiotr Halicki / Onet
Wolny Jazdów representatives state that they have so far, striving to act in a spirit of dialogue, respect, and partnership, conducted talks directly with the authorities of the Śródmieście District and the City of Warsaw. However, given that the authorities did not recognize their arguments, they decided to present the case to the public and appeal for direct assistance in an open letter to members of parliament. They urge their supporters to engage their representatives in parliament and, as a show of support, join Free Jazdów.
District Authorities: “It Doesn’t Seem Like an Exorbitant Rate”
We requested clarification on the matter from Warsaw City Hall, which referred us to the authorities of the Śródmieście district. We wanted to find out, among other things, what justified the drastic increases and why they were imposed from above, without dialogue or negotiation with representatives of the non-governmental organizations from Jazdów.
“Currently, in the Śródmieście District, the minimum rent for non-governmental organizations is 22 złoty per square meter. Rental rates are set in net amounts, which, in accordance with the regulations, are increased by the applicable VAT. Previously, the houses were rented at a rate of 9.31 złoty per square meter plus VAT, i.e. At the actual cost of maintenance, which resulted primarily from the fact that organizations carried out the transformation of the houses from residential to utility on their own. As a result of numerous meetings, it was decided that contracts for the continuation of the lease would be concluded with all organizations on the same terms, i.e. For a period of five years with a rent of 22 złoty per square meter plus VAT,” said Anna Łobko, spokesperson for the Śródmieście district.
“Given that the average area of the rented houses is about 64 square meters, the average monthly rent for a house – at the proposed rate – will be about 1,408 złoty net. This does not seem like an exorbitant rate, given the central location of these premises. It is also worth mentioning that some organizations use the adjacent gardens free of charge, where they conduct their activities,” she added.
The spokesperson emphasizes that negotiations regarding the continuation of the lease lasted for more than a year and included several meetings between representatives of the Śródmieście District and the Jazdów community with Warsaw city authorities. During the talks, the aforementioned proposal was worked out: lease term: five years, rent of 22 złoty plus VAT, independent fees from the landlord (utilities) – in accordance with actual consumption.
“The Increase Results From a Desire to Treat All Organizations Equally”
We asked whether the fact that the 80-year-old houses require repairs and renovations, which the user organizations carry out themselves at their own expense, and the high heating bills after a harsh winter when pipes froze and burst in many of the houses, are not circumstances allowing for a waiver or reduction of these increases.
“The proposed rent is the minimum rent applicable to non-governmental organizations. The provisions of the lease agreement and the applicable local legal regulations clearly state that in the event of work carried out in the premises, with the landlord’s consent, expressed in the form of a concluded renovation agreement, the tenant may settle the incurred costs that permanently increase the value of the premises,” the Śródmieście spokesperson noted.
“The increase in the rent is due to the city’s desire to treat all non-governmental organizations operating within its structures equally, applying for premises on preferential terms, i.e. In a non-competitive procedure. The city does not treat the rental of premises to non-governmental organizations as a commercial activity. The goal is to ensure transparency and equal rules for all entities using the city’s property,” she added.
Osiedle JazdówPiotr Halicki / Onet
We asked how the city envisions resolving this contentious situation and whether it is possible to waive or reduce these increases.
“It is the duty of the district to treat all entities fairly and transparently. The currently applicable minimum rent results from local legal acts and applies to all organizations applying for premises on preferential terms. The city does not treat the rental of premises to non-governmental organizations as a commercial activity. The goal is to ensure transparent and equal rules for all entities using the city’s property,” Łobko stated.
Jazdów – Warsaw’s First Post-War Housing Estate
Osiedle Jazdów, consisting of nearly 90 single-story Finnish wooden houses, was built in 1945 on the site of the destroyed Ujazdów Hospital as Warsaw’s first post-war housing estate. The houses originated as war reparations from Finland to the Soviet Union. The district was originally intended for employees of the Capital Reconstruction Office. Eventually, 40 homes were allocated to them, although the remaining were occupied by employees of the Social Construction Enterprise.
We find two types of houses in Jazdów. Some have 72 square meters of space and three rooms. Larger ones have 80 square meters and four rooms. Over time, some of the houses deteriorated and were demolished due to their poor technical condition. In 2011, the future of the district came into question. District authorities wanted to demolish the houses as unsuitable for such a prestigious location, surrounded by the German and French embassies, as well as the Sejm and Senate. However, after numerous protests and consultations, they withdrew from these plans, although some residents had already moved out to premises offered by the district.
The protests united many communities and led to numerous organizations moving into some of the houses, with the consent of the city authorities. According to information obtained from the Śródmieście district, there are currently 27 Finnish houses in the Jazdów district. Fourteen of them are utility houses – occupied by non-governmental organizations under lease agreements for a fixed period.
The remaining 13 are residential houses, of which six are occupied, with lease agreements concluded many or dozens of years ago for an indefinite period. Four are subject to procedures for transforming from residential to utility premises with a function in the field of culture and administration, and three are vacant due to their unsuitable technical condition – a tender procedure is underway for their renovation.
